This invention relates to an improved closure cap of the type in which a tear strip separates the upper portion of the closure cap from a lower portion that is connected to a container.
While closure caps of the type described herein are particularly useful in the medical field on plastic bottles containing parenteral liquids, it is to be understood that the closure cap of the present invention is adaptable for use with many different types of containers in which access to the container is prevented until a tear strip is removed.
Prior art closures in which a lower portion of the closure is sealed to the container and an upper portion of the closure is separated from the lower portion by a tear strip are widely used in the medical field. Many of these prior art closures are formed of plastic and comprise a pair of parallel peripheral grooves which define a tear strip separating the upper portion from the lower portion, and a handle extends outwardly from the tear strip and is operable when pulled to remove the tear strip. Examples of such closure caps are described in Bathish, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,831 and Robinson U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,957.
I have discovered that by using certain prior art tear strip type closure caps, it is occasionally difficult to tear off the strip and, on occasion, the handle will flex and break prior to removal of the tear strip. One of the possible reasons for such difficulty is the plastic mold parting line which typically extends vertically along one side of the cap at the line where the handle is connected (or formed integrally with) the tear strip.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to alleviate the difficulty experienced in removing the tear strip on occasion.
Another object of the present invention is to alleviate the problem of handle breakage during removal of the tear strip.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.